Ingredients:

1 lb. beef  tenderloin, cut into chunks

Box of mushrooms (pre-sliced if you wish)

1 large onion chopped pretty fine

16 oz. low fat sour cream

Salt and pepper

.33 cup white wine

Directions:   Read the rest of this entry

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Ingredients: 

2 cups fresh pineapple

2 apples, chopped to bite sized (Granny Smith?)

1 stalk celery sliced to bites

1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/3 cup low fat lemon yogurt

2 T. honey

¼ cup chopped walnuts

.25 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions: Read the rest of this entry

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Ingredients:

6 oz. flounder or sole per person

1 tsp. low fat mayonnaise

1 tsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh spinach

Directions: Read the rest of this entry

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Ingredients:

6 oz. shrimp per person

1 cup chopped tomato

1 chopped pepper—yellow or green

1 small onion chopped

Garlic clove

Celery stalk, chopped

Cooking Directions: Read the rest of this entry

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Michael Phelps diet consisted of eating 12,000 calories a day while he was training for the Olympic Games this past summer. He said he was still having a hard time keeping weight on because of all of the calories he burned during his workouts.

Check out this video below it is hilarious!

This is what would happen if the majority of us tried the Michael Phelps 12,000 calorie a day diet!

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“I am doing the same workouts that has helped me lose 10 pounds initially, but I have not been able to lose any more weight.  How come I have stopped seeing results?”

This is a common question that I hear all of the time. This is something that can happen after a few months on the same program and doing the same thing every time you go to the gym.

One thing about the human body is that it has an amazing ability to adapt to whatever stresses that you put on it.

Initially, you may have seen some great results when you started your exercise program, because the exercises program was new.  Your body was not use to the new program and was under more stress that what its use was to.

In order to get stronger you must overload the muscles and give them more work that what they are use to. As a result the muscles will grow and become stronger as a way of adapting to the stimulus.

What happens in many cases is that most people begin an exercise program and initially they get instant result, but after a few months on the same program using the same amount of weight, sets, reps, time, or intensity levels the body adapts and you will hit a plateau and stop seeing results.

In order to get over this plateau you must change some of the variables. Here are a few changes to help you get over the hump so you can start getting results again quickly.

·         Change the exercises

·         Change the order of exercises

·         Change the weight

·         Change the sets

·         Change the reps

·         Change the rest time

·         Change the tempo

·         Change your program- circuit training, split routines, total body

This does not mean that you should switch your workout up every time that you come to the gym. No, the key is to give your muscles a chance to adapt before you switch up your program. Usually I will switch up the workouts every four weeks. This gives your muscles enough time to adapt and grow stronger from the new workout, but not enough time to for your muscles to hit a plateau.

By Benjamin Petitpas, CSCS

Personal Trainer Connecticut

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It seems as though most people feel like they need to spend an hour or two at the gym 7 days a week in order to get any real results. Well this simply is not true. The real problem is that people don’t know how to use their time efficiently in the gym.

This is the biggest problem I see at the gym. People walk around aimlessly doing a one set of an exercise and then spending the next 5 minutes resting or talking with friends before they do another set. No wonder why you can see the same people at the gym every day, but you never notice any changing in their bodies.

I am going to share a few of my training secrets with you so you can use manage your time more efficiently. This way you can spend less time in the gym and more of your time doing the things that you enjoy. The best part is that you will burn more fat, lose more weight, and get some serious results in less time.

Read the rest of this entry

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With one holiday under your loosened belt, you’re gearing up for many more celebrations…and piles of seasonal comfort food. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be totally candid with you today.Sure, I could write you a ‘feel good’ article about cutting back a few calories and exercising a few minutes each day, but I’d rather be perfectly frank (and truly helpful).

Here’s the real deal: You abuse food.

That’s right. You’re overweight because you eat too much, and you eat too much because it brings immediate pleasure.

I am here to point out that this pleasure comes at high price…

The other side of comfort food: You’ve heard dishes being referred to as ‘comfort food’—some restaurants even have an entire section of their menu designated as comfort food. But comfort food is more than just a hearty dish. Read the rest of this entry

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Working with a personal trainer in Connecticut has become increasingly more popular. More people are realizing the value of working one on one with a fitness expert to help lead them to their health and fitness goals.

It is important when looking for a personal trainer that you find one with a background in Exercise Science or Sports Medicine. It is also important that they have certifications from nationally recognized organizations, such as NSCA, NASM, and ASCM. Also, make sure you find one whom you are comfortable with and that you can trust.

These are a few questions that you should ask, before hiring a personal trainer:

1.    What is your educational background?

2.    How long have you been a personal trainer?

3.    Who are you certified through?

4.    What types of people are you experienced working with?

5.    Do you have any client testimonials or other proof of results?

These are important questions to ask because not all personal trainers are the same. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard for personal trainers and a result you see large commercial health clubs hiring personal trainers straight out of high school without any educational or work related experience. As a result I have heard horror stories from numerous people about their previous experiences working out with some of these amateur personal trainers.

Here at The Exercise and Nutrition Counseling Center you’re success is our success. We take pride in our programs and we strive for excellence. You will not find a more qualified staff of personal trainers anywhere.

Allow us to help you improve quality of your life!

Schedule Your FREE Fitness Consultation Today

By Benjamin Petitpas

Personal Trainer Connecticut

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